Tilting gate



J. M. DAVIS. TILTING GATE.

' (No ModelJ No. 594,385. Patented Nov. 30, 1897.

UNITED STATES PATENT FrrcE.

JAMES M. DAVIS, OF DEER GREEK, ILLINOIS.

TILTING GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 594,385, dated November 30, 1897.

Application filed October 2 9, 1 8 9 6.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES M. DAVIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Deer Creek, in the county of Tazewell and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tilting Gates; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to tilting gates; and it consists in certain features hereinafter described, and specifically set out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings herewith presented, Figure 1 is a perspective View of the gate in its closed position. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the gate, showing position of parts when gate is undergoing the operation of closing. Fig. 3 is a larger view of the middle longitudinal portion of the gate, showing means for unlatching. Fig. 4 is also a larger view of the latch-operating device shown in Fig. 3, but showing a slightly different position. Fig. 5 is a front View of two rollers used for operating the latch and opening the gate. Fig. 6 is a side View of a portion of the top of the gate, showing a lever pivoted upon one of the operating-rods and resting upon a tilting table and showing operation of closing, all of which will be hereinafter described. Fig. 7 is a side view of part of the operating mechanism.

In the various figures, A represents thegate, which is built in the'ordinary manner and carries at one of its lower corners a crossbeam B, which is pivoted between two supporting-posts O O, as indicated in Fig. 1. A weight D, forming a counterbalance, is used to assist in the opening of the gate, as in other gates of this class. Said weight is secured to an arm E, which is pivoted between two posts F F. Near the middle of the length of the gate at the bottom thereof is pivoted the end of an arm G, Whose upper extremity is pivoted to the free end of the weight-arm E. To the top of each of the posts 0 O is pivoted in suitable manner an arm or lever H, operated at the outer extremity by a handle I. The inner or adjacent ends of said arms H carry by suitable pivotal arrangement depending rods J. A rod K, Fig. 5, passes through the lower extremities of the rods J Serial No. 610,394. (No model.)

and carries two rollers L L, either one or both of which may carry a staple M or other device, to which is secured a wire N, which, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but more clearly in Fig. 3, passes forward and connects with a s pring-latch N on the front of the gate. This latch is of the ordinary construction and simply locks or springs under a projection O on the post 0, Fig. 3.

At the middle of the gate, running longitudinally, is a beam P, which is provided with a diagonal slot Q, through which the above-described shaft or rod K passes, as shown in Figs. ,3, 4, and .5. The slot Q and the rollers L L are located in such position as to bring them directly behind the pivoted arm G. The slot Q has an extended slot R, forming part thereof and running at right angles thereto, the use of which will be presently described. Fig. 7 shows this construction on a large scale, but minus the rollers and arms.- It will be noted that the said arm G occupies an oblique position with reference to the horizontal lines of the gate in the position shown in Fig. 1, and the particular use of the said arm in this position will be presently understood.

The operation of the gate is now to be explained. Upon pulling one of the handles I of the pivoted arms H the rods J are raised, and as they rise one of the rollers L bears upon the slanting rod or arm G,-and the slot Q being parallel with the edge of the said rod and being the'same distance from the said arm as the length of the radius of the roller it follows that as the pull upon the rods J continues the rod or shaft K,'upon which the rollers are mounted, will pass into the upper portion of the said slot Q, and this movement causes the distance between the rollers and the latch N of the gate to increase, thus tending to draw upon the wire N and withdraw the latch from engagement with the projection O, and with this action it will be seen that since the roller Lbears strongly upon the arm G while moving upward the friction between the said roller and arm is sufficient to cause the roller to revolve in a direction to cause the staple M to move rearwardly or in a direction away from the latch N, and thus also drawing upon the wire. The gate being released by this operation and the pull upon the rod J continued and the shaft K being now in the top of the slot Q, the gate rises and the weight D carries it over to a vertical position, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2. It is only necessary in closing the gate to repeat this movement, and as the gate falls into place, the wire and latch being free, the gate locks instantly. It will be understood that when the gate is open the rods J occupy the same relative position with reference to the pivoted point of the gate that they did while the gate was in the horizontal position, so that a pull sufficient to open the gate will also close it.

In gates of this character an inevitable deadcenter is present, from the fact that the point of leverage is sometimes in line with the pivot on which the gate swings, and when this obtains the gate is next to useless from the fact that if a person passing through the gate 011 pulling the operating-handle does not give it sufficient strain on the start and the gate should stop accidentally on center the operating-handle is then of no use, as it will not move the gate, and it is then necessary to grasp the gate and throw it over. If the person be passing through the gate in a vehicle and this same trouble should occur, it will be seen how useless the gate would prove to be. It is the intention in my gate to overcome this difliculty, and the means for so doing will be understood from what follows. To the top of the gate is secured a tilting table a, which occupies a diagonal position with reference to the horizontal portions of the gate, and this position is such that when the gate is in the position shown in Figs? and 6-i. 0., when the rollers L are directly above the pivotal point of the gate or on dead-centerthe table will be substantially horizontal. Pivotally hung from one of the rods J is a finger b,which may swing freely and which drags over the table as the gate passes back and forth. To show the use of this portion of the device as means for helping the gate over center, we will suppose, for example, that the gate is being thrown shut and through some unforeseen cause stops on center, as shown in Fig. 2. Now all that is necessary is to pull the handle II, which raises the rods J, and the slot R, which is now in a vertical position and immediately over the shaft K, allows the shaft and rollers to rise, and the rods J being thus permitted to rise draw the finger b to a more nearly vertical position upon the table a, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6. The finger now bears upon the table in a direct manner and considerable distance to one side of the center. Now by pushing upward upon the handle I the rods J and the finger b descend and push the gate over to its closed position. It is obvious that the gate will swing as easily in the opposite direction when the conditions are the same. By the construction of the various parts and the arrangement of the same the gate is rendered very effective and easily operated.

Another advantage in this gate is that there are no castings or intricate parts to be supplied and maintained.

Having set forth the construction and operation of my gate, what I particularly claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters latent, is-

1. In a tilting gate, the combination with the frame thereof, of suitable pivotal supports for same, a system of operating-arms for tilting the gate on its pivots, a tilting device consisting of a table secured to the top of the gate, and means for engaging said tilting device, consisting of a finger pivoted to the operating portion of the gate substantially as and for the purposes set forth and described.

2. In a tilting gate, the combination with the frame A thereof, of the uprights O O pivotally supporting the gate, the arms II pivoted to said uprights, the portion P forming part of the gate and provided with the slots Q, and R, the rods J hung from the arms II, a shaft K passing through the slot in the portion I and connecting the ends of the said rods J, rollers L placed on the said shaft K, the gate-latch N, the wire N connecting the said latch and rollers, the arm G pivoted at its lower end to the gate, an arm E pivoted to the arm G, the posts 1 F supporting the said arm E, the weight D on said arm, a tilting table a secured to the gate and an operating-finger pivoted to one of the arms J for engaging said tilting table substantially as and for the purposes set forth and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES M. DAVIS.

Vitnesscs:

J. M. BUTLER, JOHN M. GENTLE. 

